Automatic electric switch



June 2, 1942. A. MEYER AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed July 28, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

A KM.

flea/ii; I W-Wmw ATTOR/V'YS June 2, 1942. MEYER 2,284,756

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed July 28, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 5.; I'll 84,2

IN V EN TOR.

6114 39 9120 &/

fldsumq I Patented'June 2, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SWITCH Alex Meyer, Fort Morgan, 0010.

Application July 28, 1941, Serial No. 404,413

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an automatic electric switch for motor vehicles and is especially adapted for use in the lighting system of the vehicle in lieu of the usual fuse unit of said system. The primar object of the invention is the provision of a switch of the above stated character and operating in conjunction with the usual dimmer switch and master control switch of the lighting system to automatically restore illumination of the headlights on the motor vehicle in case of a short circuit or an electric overload occurring in the lighting system, so that the vehicle may be driven to a service station for repair with illumination thereon suflicient to warrant safety of operation.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a switch of the kind specified which may be easily and quickly restored to normal operation as soon as the defect in the electric system of the vehicle has been cured.

With these and other objects in view, as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating an automatic electric switch constructed in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is an end elevation illustrating the switch.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrat.. ing the switch or the parts thereof in a position effected by an overload in the electric switch.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatical view, illustrating the installation of the present invention in a lighting system of a motor vehicle.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numera1 5 indicates a casing constructed of any suitable insulating material which will be durable and is provided with a removable end wall 6. The end wall 6 carries a terminal 1, a similar terminal 8 is provided in the bottom wall of the casing. The terminals I and 8 are to be connected in the hot side of an electric system of a motor vehicle so that the present invention may control the flow of electricity from the source to all of the electric equipment of said vehicle.

The terminal 8 is located adjacent the end wall 6 and carries a substantially U shaped contact 9 located within the casing. Spaced contacts III are mounted in the casing adjacent the rear wall and extend outwardly of said casing and are connected to fuse grips II mounted upon the exterior of the casing or the rear wall thereof. The grips II receive fuses I2.

A bar I3 is pivotally mounted in the casing, as shown at I4, and one end overlies the contact 9 and its opposite end carries a bridge contact I5 for bridging the contacts I (I. A coil spring [6 acts on one end of the bar I3 to urge the contact I5 into engagement with the contacts In and to disengage the bar I3 from the contact 9.

A bi-metal element I! is mounted in the casing, as shown at [8, and the free end thereof is adapted to be brought into engagement with an end of the bar I3 to holdsaid bar in engagement with the contact 9 against the action of the spring I6. A flexible conductor element I9 connects the bi-metal element IT to the bar I3, the latter being of an electric conductive material. A contact 2|! is formed on the bi-metal element I1 and engages the terminal I under all conditions or operations of the present invention.

The top wall of the casing has a recess 2I forming a seat for one end of the coil spring I6 while the other end of the spring is retained on the bar I3 by a pin 22.

A sleeve 23 is threaded in an opening provided in the top wall of the casing and is held thereon by nuts 24. The sleeve 23 slidably supports a plunger 24, the inner end of which overlies the bar [3 while the outer end may be gripped by a person for the purpose of shoving the bar I3 into engagement with the contact 9 for resetting the switch after the same has acted to prevent damage from an electric overload.

A nut 25 is arranged on the outer end of the sleeve and may coact with one of the nuts 24 in mounting the device on an instrument panel or some other place of the motor vehicle.

The automatic switch is designated in entirety by the character 26 and to adapt said switch in an electric lighting system of a motor vehicle as are of the double filament type. The bright light filaments are indicated by the character 33 are connected to a terminal 34 on the load side of the dimmer switch 36 by a conductor 35. The dim filaments are indicated by the character 36 and are connected to the terminal .31 of the dimmer switch by a conductor 36.

The filaments 33 and 36 'are electrically connected to the ground common to the ground or the battery 21. The dimmer switch 36 includes a movable control element 29 for rendering either the dim or bright filaments oi the headlights active and inactive. The movable element 29 is electrically connected to the master or main switch 3|.

Normally, when driving at night the main switch 3| is closed and should a short circuit or electric overload occur in the lighting system, the automatic switch 26 is actuated thereby, breaking the circuit between the contact 3 and the bar l3 due to the expansion of the bi-metal element l1 and the spring l6 acting on the bar B. This brings about engagement of the bridge contact IS with the contacts M. The flow of electricity will then be through the fuses 12 to the terminals 34 and 3'! of the dimmer switch and through the latter to the main control switch 38' and all circuits connected thereto as well as to both filaments of the headlights 32.

Should at this time the dimmer switch be positioned to illuminate the dim filaments 36 of the headlights 32, the flow of electric current will be through both fuses to the terminals 34 and 31 of the dimmer switch and through the latter to the master switch and both filaments 33, 36 of the headlights. The short circuit or electric overload in the lighting system wherever it may occur will cause the fuse I2 connected to the terminal 31 to blow, rendering all circuits of the lighting system dead except the circuit to the bright filaments of the headlights which remain active to give illumination on the motor vehicle for its safe driving to a repair station.

Should the dimmer switch 30 be positioned for the illumination of the bright filaments on the headlights 32 at the time of the short circuit, the fuse 12 connected to the terminal 34 of the dimmer switch 30 will blow and the dim filaments 36 will remain illuminated, giving sufiicient illumination for the safe driving of the vehicle to the repair station. Wherever the short circuit occurs in the lighting system, the instrument light goes out, giving the driver warning of the short circuit.

After the repair to the electric system has been completed, the plunger 24' is manually pressed, bringing the bar 13 again into engagement with the contact 9 and the bi-metal element l1 overlying said bar which restores the entire system to normalcy.

While I have shown and described th preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction,

combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing Irom the spirit and scope oi the invention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is: 4.

1. In an automatic electric switch for an electric system of a motor vehicle, an insulated casing, spaced terminals carried by said owing, a contact carried by said casing, a movable contact bar pivoted in said casing to engage one oi said terminals or the contact, tension means acting on the bar to engage the latter with the con tact, a bi-metal element mounted in the casing and electrically connected to the other terminal and adapted to engage the bar for sustaining the latter in engagement with one of the terminals, a flexible electrical connection between the bar and the bi-metal element, and a manually operated means carried by the casing to engage the bar to position the latter in engagement with the latter-named terminal and the bi-metal element.

2. In an automatic electric switch, an insulated casing, first and second terminals located on said casing, a contact carried by said casing, a movable bar carried, by said casing to engage either the contact or the second terminal, a spring carried by said casing and bearing against one end of the bar to engage the latter with said contact, a bi-metal element mounted in said casing and electrically connected to the first terminal and adapted to engage the bar to hold the latter in engagement with the second terminal, and a flexible element connected to the bar and the bi-metal element.

3. In an automatic electric switch, an insulated casing, first and second termiri-alslocated on said casing, a contact carried by said casing, a movable bar carried by said casing to engage either the contact or the second terminal, a

' spring carried by said casing and bearingagainst one end of the bar to engage the latter with said contact, a bi-metal element mounted in said casing and electrically connected to the first terminal and adapted to engage the bar to hold the latter in engagement with the second terminal, and a flexible element connected to the bar and the bi-metal element, a sleeve carried by said casing, means on said sleeve to enact therewith in mounting said casing on a support, and a plunger slidably supported by said sleeve to be manually actuated for engaging the bar with the bi-metal element and with the second terminal.

ALEX MEYER. 

